The present invention relates generally to electronic components fabricated by multilayer ceramic technology. More particularly, the present invention relates to a multilayer ceramic device having RC properties.
Multilayer ceramic technology is commonly employed in the production of capacitors, known as multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCs). During manufacture of MLCs, a plurality of ceramic-electrode layers are arranged in a stack. The stacked layers are pressed and sintered to achieve a substantially uniform capacitor body. The capacitor body is often rectangular in shape, with electrical terminals of opposite polarity provided along respective sides or at opposite ends.
As is well known, every other electrode in the interleaved stack is connected to one of the opposite polarity terminals. Each terminal thus provides a common node to a respective set of alternate electrodes. As a result, a capacitor device constructed in this manner will behave as a plurality of discrete capacitors arranged in parallel.
It is often necessary to connect a resistance in series with the capacitance provided by a MLC component. A discrete resistor can be used for this purpose, but is often undesirable due to space limitations frequently imposed by the design of modern electronic equipment.
As an alternative, composite devices have been developed that include a MLC structure in series with an "on-chip" resistor. The MLC structure of these devices is fabricated in a manner similar to discrete MLCs. After the capacitor is made, a resistor is located on the exterior surface of the capacitor body, electrically connected between a terminal and its associated set of electrode plates. A device of this type is illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,951 to deNeuf et al.
While composite RC devices are generally effective for their intended purpose, they are not without certain disadvantages.